As a sales leader I am regularly teaching my team about the value of being able to react to opportunities as they present themselves and to maneuver around adversity when it is present. These skill sets help them create a positive attitude to carry into their daily work and allow them to rebound quickly from rejection. Sometimes called resilience, other times referred to as adaptability, the meaning and value are the same; being able to find a winning solution in a challenging situation.
This week I can find my inspiration for demonstrating adaptability a little closer to home. My daughter is a Girl Scout, a group of girls who are well known for their compassion and charity in their communities. They are also well known for how they raise the money to run their troops and to provide that community service; they sell cookies.
You always know when it is Girls Scout cookie season, they are in front of every store, walking through neighborhoods, going to parent’s offices and practicing their business skills as they raise money for their troop funds. This year, none of their usual sales efforts can be executed as the pandemic has put a halt on being able to be face to face in their community. A lot of girls and troops are taking this selling season off. But not my daughter.
Last year her troop earned their Bronze Award for community service and this year they have their eyes set on achieving their Silver Award. So, they have a goal and a reason to raise the money to support their projects and plans. While some will work within the currently limited reach of their parents, family and social circles, my daughter felt the need to go a little further.
She decided to try contactless delivery in her community. She created a flyer to market the program, printed them, developed the QR code, set up her Girl Scouts website, and then walked the surrounding neighborhood putting flyers on 100’s of doors. The dog has very much enjoyed her efforts and the long walks. She has also made the offer available to local senior centers, a few businesses and is focusing on encouraging people to buy cookies for the troops through the Operation Thin Mint program. Cookies can be mailed, delivered locally to your doorstep or to our troops via donation. All the donations and purchases will add up to her making a positive contribution to her troop’s annual funds.
As I have watched her tenacity and drive to find a way to make this work, it was a wonderful reminder of how we should all seek the path forward versus being turned back by the road-blocks in front of us. 2020 was a tough year. 2021 isn’t likely to be terribly better. As we look forward and search for the right path forward for our businesses, the ability to be open-minded to new ideas, creative in our thoughts and to stay positive for our teams will determine who the winners and loser will be.
Here’s to hoping we all can be as creative as an 11 year old little girl this year. I hope you can set aside a little time to sit back, have a cookie and think about how you will lead your team forward and create a success during these difficult times. The answers are out there, and great teams will find them. Regardless of where your thoughts and ideas take you, you will still have enjoyed that cookie!
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